He shrugged. "So, where's this utility room?"
I led him down and he pulled out the equipment, running the scanner. Almost immediately, it signaled a device.
"Mother Fucker."
"You said the men were outside too. Should we look there?" Archer asked.
I nodded. I considered leaving the device in the utility room so that Frick and Frack from Cruz and Langmore or whoever they worked forward wouldn't know that they'd been discovered. But then I remembered Mo. I couldn't take any chances when it came to him.
"Let’s get the device out of here."
"They'll know it was found."
“Maybe they'll think it doesn't work. Just get it down and I’ll boost security around the house."
Archer dealt with the device and then we went outside walking the perimeter. We found one more device attached to the phone line. Since I used a cell phone, nothing would've been compromised except for the line that was also used for Internet access. I had Archer remove that device as well.
"Can you have both sent to the tech guys?" I asked him.
He nodded. "Of course. Do you have any idea who would want to install these?"
"I have some theories but it's only that. I don't want to say anything until I know something more certain."
Archer studied me for a moment. "You know, you have a team of people ready and willing to help you with this."
"I know. But my theory is that it's someone who's annoying, not someone who is dangerous. I don’t want to involve the business with some idiot trying to manipulate me."
Archer's brows rose. "Manipulate you? And you’ve already involved the business. The tech team anyway."
"It's nothing really. Let me walk you to your car."
As we walked, Archer said, "You know, if you need anything, even if it's just help with the baby, all you need to do is ask. I'm not an expert in babies yet, but I am a father, and my wife is brilliant."
I patted his back as we reached his car. "Thanks, I appreciate that."
He turned and gave me a hard look. "What I'm trying to tell you, Noel, is that you're not alone. You have friends. Don't be afraid to use them."
When Archer left, I went back inside to the sunroom, sitting in the rocking chair while Mo slept soundly against my chest. Archer's words echoed in my head.
I had friends.
It had been a long time since I'd had a friend. A good best friend. That had been on purpose because when Bastion died, the hole he left was more than I wanted to ever endure again.
He had been my partner in crime. Together we’d had many grand adventures. But our luck had run out. On our last adventure, we’d been ambushed while working for a weapons dealer in the Congo.
Never in my life had I experienced such chaos and terror. I'd had to pull the team out quickly or risk losing everyone. When we'd finally regrouped, Bastion wasn't there.
Immediately I began forming a team to go back to find him, but the news reached me that he had been killed. I still wanted to retrieve his body, but the situation was dangerous. I didn't want to risk losing any more men. And so, I left him behind.
Since then, I'd carried his memory and a shit-load of guilt. Sometimes I had dreams about going back and saving him. Some days I would replay the entire event trying to figure out what I did wrong. But it didn't matter because in the end Bastion was dead. There was nothing I could do to change that.
CHAPTERSIXTEEN
Harper
Dirk Chiasson was nothing like Noel. I couldn't decide what annoyed me more; that Dirk gave new meaning to the word boring or that I was comparing him to Noel.
I decided that Anne was right, I couldn't spend any more time with Noel considering I didn't trust him, so I accepted a date from Dirk. He’d been asking me out for months, but I'd put him off because despite the great looks and wealthy status, he had zero personality. Maybe personality was overrated.